Industry Insights

The below content was distributed by the Editor of Corporate Jet Investor, Alasdair Whyte, through the Corporate Jet Investor One Minute Week weekly newsletter. It has been posted with permission.

Corporate Jet Investor - One Minute Week No. 170

We live in an age where people want instant gratification. We download books to Kindles, watch movies on Netflix and read newspapers (and leading business jet websites) online.

The same is true for people who buy business jets (especially the bit about websites). This is a fundamental change, but one that is easy to miss.

Many of the world’s great old houses were built by Victorian entrepreneurs who were happy to spend years building and furnishing their houses. They would then wait for their gardens to grow. This behaviour is rarer now.

Leading estate agents say that the majority of high value properties in London – ones over $100 million – are sold with furnishings included. “When I started in this business I assumed that the ric...

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With a steadily improving US economy, aircraft values stabilizing globally, and companies with readily available access to capital, it is an opportune time to bring aircraft into the US at a lower cost, according to Jetcraft COO Peter Antonenko.

As aircraft make their way stateside, there are a number of economic questions that both a buyer and seller must answer: Who handles export from the current country? Who handles import? Who pays taxes and other delivery costs? What will be the arrival airport? For the right answers, it means working closely with the country of registration, FAA, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Department of Treasury.

“Where the aircraft is located and where it’s going, that’s where it starts. Then you can begin looking at paperwork and the next steps,” said Antonenko. “Filing a customs declaration, following the normal international arrival procedures, and hiring a broker are all parts of the initial process. Mishandling any of these steps can slow...

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For companies and institutions that own a private aircraft fleet, there will invariably come a time when there is a need to sell. Whether it’s a multinational corporation looking to upgrade their fleet of Sikorskys and Challengers, or a US-based aviation services company aiming to sell their Citation 560XLs, fleet sales can come in any shape or size. There is no cookie cutter approach to handling these transactions.

Because each fleet sale is unique and entails a large scope of planning, preparation and execution, most aircraft brokers simply don’t have the knowledge or capability to handle these transactions. Each fleet sale involves a high level of trust, a wealth of experience and a unique ability to be flexible. It’s also the type of transaction that Jetcraft specializes in.

“We’ve been handling fleet sales for a long time, but these types of transactions aren’t something that Jetcraft started doing overnight,” explains Jetcraft President, Chad Anderson. “You have t...

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Written by David Dixon, President, Jetcraft Asia

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At a recent conference in London, I presented on the subject of business aviation trends in China titled “China - is it slowing down or overhyped.” For this article, I’m going to start where I ended that presentation, expounding on my closing point of why, “Everyone wants a China strategy but everyone needs a regional strategy”.

Watching China Grow

Fifteen years ago no one took China seriously as a market for business aircraft and almost any efforts were often met with incredulity. Fast forward to today, where China is top of the agenda when thinking strategically about Asia. There is good reason for that too, as it offers enormous potential for growth in almost every industry, including business aviation.  Today there are more than 120 privately owned aircraft either based or owned in Hong Kong, as well as approximately another 120 aircraft in mainland China. In dollar value terms, the market...

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Whether for leisure or business, every flight has a mission. To match the right jet with that mission, Jetcraft has developed a powerful new tool that helps you easily align a vast selection of aircraft to your specific aviation requirements and needs. It’s called JetRange.

The goal of JetRange is to enable you to determine which jet would make a good fityou’re your mission based on flight plan, airport origin, and intended destination(s). Along with the targeted range map, the tool also displays a long list of specs about featured aircraft to better inform your selection process.

For example, if your mission is Los Angeles to Moscow, you can check the range of flying a Gulfstream G450 from Van Nuys airport to Vnukovo. Common business airports, such as Hong Kong International, Dubai International, and Congonhas in Sao Paulo are included. Dozens of aircraft models are included as well.

A comprehensive tool, JetRange provides comparisons of aircraft from all leading OEMs and...

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Written by Tom Hague, Wings Insurance Director of Sales

While hull and liability insurance are vital for every aircraft owner, be sure you have the best possible policy for your needs before signing anything. Tom Hauge, Vice President/National Sales Director of Sales for Wings Insurance, shares his expertise in aviation insurance and highlights the small print and limitations you need to be aware of.

The aviation market is unique and when considering insurance, without a doubt, the first step is choosing an insurance broker that really understands the market. When you are insuring an aircraft worth anywhere up to $70 million, you need to be confident that your broker has secured the correct policy for your needs.

Beyond hull insurance, where most claims are made, the amount of liability coverage you go for is of significant consideration. One of the questions I get asked most is “How much liability insurance should I carry?” You can only figure that out once you have cons...

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Written by Dan Dunn, former Jetcraft Vice President Sales, USA

A used aircraft sale will usually include a pre-purchase inspection to verify that the condition of the aircraft meets the representations made by the seller.  This inspection is often referred to as a "Pre-Buy."  An industry standard Pre-Buy inspection requires selecting an appropriate service facility that is approved to perform work and inspections by the manufacturer. It may be a center owned by the manufacturer itself, or a mutually agreeable facility.

The scope of a pre-purchase inspection is determined on several factors, namely age of aircraft and warranty status, recent or due inspections, and comfort level with the transaction in general.  A Pre-Buy inspection is traditionally paid for by the buyer and may also include a test flight of the aircraft.

Many buyers will review the technical status of the aircraft and may negotiate with the seller to include scheduled maintenance that is near due in the ins...

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